Backer was born in Belgium, but moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia when he was two. Originally a member of the indie band Downstares, Backer began performing under the name Gotye in 2001 when the band disbanded. Aside from his solo work, De Backer has been a member of the indie band The Basics since its formation in 2002.
Gotye's second album Like Drawing Blood was featured by Triple J in May 2006 and was voted Number 1 in the listeners poll of the Best Album of 2006 . The album was also nominated for a J Award that year. Two tracks from that album, Learnalilgivinanlovin and Heart's A Mess, were ranked 94 and 8 respectively in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006. Like Drawing Blood has been certified Platinum.
In September 2006, Gotye was nominated for an Australian Recording Industry Music Award (ARIA award) for best independent release for his album Like Drawing Blood, and won 'Most Outstanding New Independent Artist' at the inaugural Australian Independent Record (AIR) Chart Awards.
In 2007, Gotye won the ARIA for best male artist. As a result of the publicity of the nomination, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA album chart and was named iTunes UK Album of the Year in 2008.
In 2009, Heart's A Mess came in at #77 in Triple J Hottest 100 of all time, voted by the Australian public.
Amidst the lead-up to Gotye's third album, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA charts in mid 2011, peaking at its highest ever position of 13.
After the success of Like Drawing Blood, De Backer was able to establish a permanent home, still in Melbourne's South East. In 2010, De Backer set up a recording studio in a barn at his parents' farm and set about recording tracks for his third album. He released a new single, Eyes Wide Open, in mid-October 2010, online and on 10" vinyl. The single received generally positive reviews and reached number 25 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2010. It was also shortlisted for the 2011 APRA Music Awards in the Song of the Year category.
In late March 2011, De Backer revealed the album's title to be Making Mirrors. This title was inspired by an artwork, painted by De Backer's father in the 1980s, discovered by De Backer amongst old bills and newspapers in his parents' barn, which was later edited in Photoshop to become the album artwork. "The mirror reflects on artwork and it is all very related to self-reflection and introspection on the album."
On 19 May, it was announced that the album would be released on 19 August 2011, with the album launch the following day at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Graphic Festival which will feature animators and a 10-piece orchestra as part of Gotye's performance. De Backer also released a follow-up single to Eyes Wide Open titled Somebody That I Used to Know, which was released 6 July 2011, and debuted at #27 on the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. The single became something of a sensation, quickly moving up the ARIA singles chart despite comparatively low airplay to many other charting singles at the time. The track was further boosted by endorsements from well-known celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen via Twitter, exposing Gotye's music to their millions of followers. The single has gone on to reach 6× Platinum (420,000 units sold) status.
On 15 July 2011, it was announced that Gotye's single Somebody That I Used to Know had come third in the 2011 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. As part of the prize, Gotye won a spot to perform at Song Summit 2012 at Darling Harbour, 26–28 May 2012.
On its first week of release, Making Mirrors came in at number one on the ARIA Australian album chart, making Gotye the first Australian act to simultaneously hold both the number one single and album since Silverchair, who achieved the same feat in 2007.
On 11 October 2011, it was announced that Gotye had been nominated for seven ARIA Awards. Due to the release date restrictions of the eligibility period, Making Mirrors could not be nominated, and the seven nominations all related to the single Somebody That I Used to Know. Gotye was nominated for Highest Selling Single, Single of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Male Artist and three awards in the ARIA Artisan category: Best Video (Natasha Pincus), Engineer of the Year (Francois Tetaz) and Producer of the Year (Wally De Backer). On the same day the nominations were revealed, the winners of the Artisan categories were announced, with Gotye and the album personnel winning all three. On 27 November 2011, Gotye took out three of the four remaining ARIA Award nominations. Single of the Year, Best Male Artist and Best Pop Release.
"Somebody That I Used To Know" has become an international hit, reaching #1 in Australia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Poland, Austria, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Germany, and also reached #1 on the alternative radio airplay charts in The United States and Canada (on the pop charts in those countries, the song has reached #5 and #11, respectively).
Easy Way Out
Gotye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ready for the disconnect
Putting on a brave face
Trying not to listen
To the voices in the back of my head
But it's alright now
(It's a distant memory baby)
(You know you should just let it go)
Some feelings have a habit of persisting
Even though you wouldn't let it show
Wearing me out
(All this)
Hanging around
(It just starts)
Getting me down
(Till I'm just)
Looking for an easy way out
Brain-dead from boredom
I'm led to distraction
Scratching the surface of life
Nothing really happens
But it's easy to keep busy
When you tell yourself you're traveling right
But it's alright now
(Was it really worth it baby?)
Alright now
(Was it just a waste of time?)
Keep on second-guessing
Use my memory like a weapon
On everything I try
Wearing me out
(All this)
Hanging around
(It just starts)
Getting me down
(Till I'm just)
Looking for an easy way out
Wearing me out
(But it's alright now)
Hanging around
(Alright now)
Getting me down
(But it's alright now)
Looking for an easy way out
Gotye's "Easy Way Out" is a song that speaks about feelings of apathy and dissatisfaction with life. The song starts with a catchy guitar riff and lyrics that suggest the singer is tired of trying to keep up with life's challenges. "Seventeen seconds and I'm over it, ready for the disconnect," he sings. He puts on a brave face to ignore the voices in his head, attempting to hide his true feelings of being fed up with his situation.
The song talks about how sometimes people hold on to some feelings that linger on despite their efforts to let them go. The singer is overwhelmed and bored with life, feeling like he's just scratching the surface of it. The song speaks of the tendency to keep up with life's challenges, thinking that we're traveling the right path, even though nothing significant seems to be happening. The chorus speaks of the singer looking for an easy way out of his current situation, which has worn him down.
The song reveals a universal feeling that people experience - being tired of life's monotony and wanting to take an easy way out. The song encourages listeners to acknowledge this feeling and to try to find meaning in life, even if it can be challenging at times.
Line by Line Meaning
Seventeen seconds and I'm over it
It only takes a moment for me to realize that I'm done with this situation
Ready for the disconnect
I'm ready to distance myself from this situation or person
Putting on a brave face
I'm pretending to be strong and unaffected by what's going on
Trying not to listen
I'm doing my best to block out the negative thoughts in my head
To the voices in the back of my head
These thoughts are in the back of my mind, haunting me
But it's alright now
I've moved on and am okay with how things played out
(It's a distant memory baby)
The situation or person is no longer a significant part of my life
Alright now
I'm in a good place and at peace with the past
(You know you should just let it go)
I am aware that it's best to move on and not dwell on the past
Some feelings have a habit of persisting
Even if I try to hide them, some emotions don't go away easily
Even though you wouldn't let it show
I tried to hide my feelings, but they were still there
Wearing me out
This situation is exhausting me
(All this)
There are so many factors contributing to this exhaustion
Hanging around
This situation or person just won't go away
(It just starts)
It's like a cycle that never ends
Getting me down
This situation is lowering my spirits
(Till I'm just)
It's gotten to the point where I'm
Looking for an easy way out
I'm searching for a quick fix or escape from this situation
Brain-dead from boredom
I'm so bored that it's affecting me mentally
I'm led to distraction
I'm easily sidetracked and distracted from what I should be doing
Scratching the surface of life
I'm not really experiencing all that life has to offer
Nothing really happens
My life feels stagnant and uneventful
But it's easy to keep busy
I can distract myself from this boredom by keeping busy with tasks
When you tell yourself you're traveling right
I'm convincing myself that I'm on the right path or track in life
Was it really worth it baby?
I'm questioning if the time and energy I put into this situation was worth it in the end
Was it just a waste of time?
I'm wondering if I could have spent that time and effort on something more worthwhile
Keep on second-guessing
I'm constantly doubting myself and my decisions
Use my memory like a weapon
I'm using my past experiences and mistakes against myself
On everything I try
These negative thoughts are affecting everything I attempt to do
Wearing me out
This situation is still taking a toll on me
(But it's alright now)
Despite this, I'm still okay and have moved on
Hanging around
This situation is still present in some capacity in my life
(Alright now)
Despite that, I'm still in a good place mentally
Getting me down
Occasionally, this situation still lowers my mood temporarily
(But it's alright now)
Despite that, I'm still doing well overall
Looking for an easy way out
I still occasionally wish for a quick solution to this situation
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Walter Andre De Backer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@clipsandhacks3292
Seventeen seconds and I'm over it
Ready for the disconnect
Putting on a brave face
Trying not to listen
To the voices in the back of my head
But it's alright now
(It's a distant memory baby)
Alright now
(You know you should just let it go)
Some feelings have a habit of persisting
Even though you wouldn't let it show
Wearing me out
(All this)
Hanging around
(It just starts)
Getting me down
(Till I'm just)
Looking for an easy way out
Brain-dead from boredom
I'm led to distraction
Scratching the surface of life
Nothing really happens
But it's easy to keep busy
When you tell yourself you're traveling right
But it's alright now
(Was it really worth it baby?)
Alright now
(Was it just a waste of time?)
Keep on second-guessing
Use my memory like a weapon
On everything I try
Wearing me out
(All this)
Hanging around
(It just starts)
Getting me down
(Till I'm just)
Looking for an easy way out
Wearing me out
(But it's alright now)
Hanging around
(Alright now)
Getting me down
(But it's alright now)
Looking for an easy way out
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Walter Andre De Backer
@joseaugusto4279
Easy Way Out
Gotye
Seventeen seconds and I'm over it
Ready for the disconnect
Putting on a brave face
Trying not to listen
To the voices in the back of my head
(But it's alright now)
It's a distant memory, baby
(Alright now)
You know you should just let it go
But some feelings have a habit of persisting
Even though you wouldn't let it show
Wearing me out
(All this)
Hanging around
(It just starts)
Getting me down
('Till I'm just)
Looking for an easy way out
Braindead from boredom
I'm led to distraction
Scratching the surface of life
Nothing really happens
But it's easy to keep busy
When you tell yourself you're travelling right
(But it's alright now)
Was it really worth it, baby?
(Alright now)
Was it just a waste of time?
Keep on second-guessing
Use my memory like a weapon
On everything I try
Wearing me out
(All this)
Hanging around
(It just starts)
Getting me down
('Till I'm just)
Looking for an easy way out
Wearing me out
(It's alright now)
Hanging around
(Alright now)
Getting me down
(It's alright now)
Looking for an easy way out
@rottenbleach174
Why Gotye isn't that famous ?
Cause he's really an artist.
@lucaslayton3974
pretty much, only sell-outs and adele can be mainstream famous
@Spoopybooby
Clorox bleach lmao what do you mean? He was famous ever since he released Now you're just Somebody that I used to know.
@rottenbleach174
James Mikami This song just made him famous for sometime then people start forgetting about him, i mean it's his only song that passed more than 100m views but the other songs, i don't think so.
@Spoopybooby
Clorox bleach "only song that passed 100 million" is 10 million views not enough to be considered popular. I promise you that 4 out of 5 people who listen to music know who Gotye is. Like chill out, he's not some under ground indie artist; he's one of the most mainstream out there.
@rottenbleach174
***** that what is today's music about
@SmoothInsomniac
i feel like most people, like "one hit wonders," is that their most famous song is their best song. Somebody that I used to Know is good, but Gotye's the kind of guy where if you listen to more of his stuff it's even BETTER than what he's known for. i love the artistic-ness, effort, and meaning in his songs
@cdubsoptional7849
Check out Little Cub. "My Nature" is my favorite track of theirs; I think you'll like it.
@dark.angel1880
Exactly
@SmoothInsomniac
@Taylor Holloway i feel like it's still his stage name though. he's the main creator of the songs, so i'm referencing him by the name he goes by when he makes/publishes them